15 things I should have done when I was a kid

I should have taken gymnastics classes when my mom wanted me to. She was right – I would have loved it, even if I did think it was kind of stupid at the time.

I should have kept in contact with my earliest friends.

I should have joined the chess team even though it seemed really nerdy.

I should have eaten my candy when I got it instead of saving it forever, letting it get old and go to waste.

I should have joined the speech and debate group. I was scared of public speaking, especially in front of my friends and family. But I would have learned so much and would have gotten over my fears much sooner.

I should have practiced drums with a metronome at least every other day.

I should have written in my journals about how I felt each day instead of just what I did.

I should have told people more often that I love them. It’s way cuter coming from a kid. And it’s way easier to build that habit then (or maybe it just seems that way).

I should have…

Uh, that’s it. That’s all I can think of.

Sure, there are others, like wish I was more open and honest, I wish I’d learned Korean and Spanish and Greek, I wish I’d convinced everyone to evacuate the World Trade Center buildings earlier that Tuesday morning. But that stuff doesn’t count.

For the real stuff, I either don’t have too many regrets or don’t have too good a memory. Either way, I’ll take it.